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Review: SUNNY AFTERNOON (UK Tour)

 

★★★✩✩

There can be little doubt that The Kinks in their musical heyday left their global mark.  Often cited as one of the most influential bands of the 1960s-80s,  their canon of pop classics cannot be underestimated. It is little surprise then that theatre producers spotted a potential ker-ching of cash registers when a musical about the band was mooted. It came to pass in 2014 when the West End lit up to The Kinks Sunny Afternoon, winning a Best Musical Olivier Award in the process it has to be noted.

Not being huge Kinks fans ourselves we were intrigued to see what writer Joe Penhall had made of their story, the majority of which is set as you might expect in the 1960s.  The story follows North London brothers Ray and Dave Davies as they form a band with their friends which eventually morphs into The Kinks.  Ray proves to be a natural and gifted songwriter.  Their seminal single 'You Really Got Me' issued in 1964 was an instant smash, just as the British Invasion was peaking in America.  The difference between the two brothers is pronounced.  Ray, introverted and with a nod to melancholy,  and Dave, charismatic and wild.  Its the Gallagher brothers but with class. Between them their differences form the spark of The Kinks, with Dave's skills as a guitarist gaining great acclaim.

 

The real problem with the musical is that there is not much story there. Band forms, band falls out, band implodes.  It has been told a million times before and Sunny Afternoon is not unique enough to make it stand out amid the rest.  Long scenes where the band question the subversive deals that they have been tied into by a succession of management figures are not exactly thrilling.  What is thrilling though is the performances of Ray Davies catalogue (and this is very much Ray's version of events, and his songwriting. the hit single  'Death Of A Clown' for instance is excluded presumably as it was written by Dave).  The cast of musicians who bring the story to life are the reason for buying a ticket.  Danny Horn brings a vulnerability to Ray Davies, as his talent and personal life gets swamped under the pressures of being in a hit band.  Oliver Hoare juxtoposes this with a Dave Davies living on the edge,  party central with little understanding of the consquences of his actions. Both performers dominate the bulk of the scenes and give the show the energy that defines it. Harry Curley nicely sums up the frustration of being trapped between the conflicted brothers as bass guitarist Pete Quaife.  Lisa Wright equally manages to elicit sympathy as Rasa, Ray's teenage first wife who finds herself trapped at home with a young baby whilst her husband gives his pop star on the other side of the world.  Zakarie Stokes drums up a storm as Mick Avory, fourth member of The Kinks, and his drum solo rightly brings cheers from the audience. Ben Caplan recreates his original role as music industry mogul Eddie Kassner to good effect, and along with Joseph Richardson and Tam Williams, provide the heavyweight management who take a large amount of The Kinks earnings.

There can be little doubt the score contains some crackers:  'Dedicated Follower Of Fashion', 'Lola', '(Thank You For The) Days',  'Dead End Street' and of course the title track.  Pop evergreens that will go on,  the cast couldn't have performed them better. The vocal arrangements of Davies' quirky songs are by and large excellent,  and when the full company joins together (both singing and playing the instruments) the combined effect is stunning.  It more than makes up for the bland passages of dialogue. Looking at the whole, it might have been better to find an original story than try and adapt The Kinks own passage through the music industry.  But it is what it is.  A jukebox musical that does what it says on the tin.  Director Edward Hall does his best to tie it all together in a neat bow, and manages a colourful show mired down with the bands own story.

On the whole, we did enjoy ourselves greatly at Sunny Afternoon but felt it was a flawed night full of brilliant performances. If you are a Kinks fan run to it, but if you are after a coherent drama when perhaps this is not for you.  

Rob & Ian

Sunny Afternoon tours the UK until the end of May 2026.  Tour details HERE 

Further listening:

The 2014 original cast album is a fantastic listen,  giving full reign to Ray Davies songwriting

 

Review: MEAN GIRLS - THE MUSICAL (UK Tour)

 

★★★★  (4 of 5)

 

The spate of movies that now become musicals has now become something of an avalanche in commercial theatre,  to greater or lesser degrees of success.  Tina Fey's 2004 adaptation of Rosalind Wildeman's book gave an award winning breakout role to Lindsay Lohan.  It wasn't until 2018 that the fully fledged musical version hit the Broadway stage, followed most recently by the movie of the musical version.  And now the show is back on UK stages in a major production 

For those blissfully unaware of events at North Shore High School,  Cady Heron arrives at the school having been living with her mother in Kenya.  She encounters an unofficial social strata among the students - presided over by a trio of sharp tongued and well styled girls known as The Plastics.  The trio consist of 'Queen Bee' Regina and her eager to please acolyte Gretchen and cerebrally challenged Karen. Cady finds a welcome from social outcasts Janis and Damian, who warn her of the toxic nature of The Plastics. But when Cady finds herself invited to dine with them at their exclusive canteen table she is drawn into a world of social putdowns and vindictive behaviour.  She resolves to take them on,  but at what cost to herself?

The music of composers Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin is very much in the pop idiom, a range of ballads and full on production numbers which keep the toes tapping throughout.  'Apex Predator' and 'Revenge Party' particularly stick to the ear after you have left the theatre, and as such the music resonates with the audience its aimed at.

Emily Lane is a wining Cody, having both the bright and breezy awkwardness of a teen whilst delivering outstanding vocals.  At the performance we saw, we were blessed with the alternative Regina, Tori Louise Ryan. She smashes it as the viper Regina combining sass and waspish cunning.  She is matched by Kiara Dario and Sophie Pourret as Gretchen and Karen respectively.  They both hit their characters on the nail, plus sing and dance a dream. Star performers to the hilt. Equally Georgie Buckland's Janis is all anger and alternative narrative, she brings the fire in the fight against the rule of the Plastics and delivers a rousing 'I'd Rather Be Me'. Max Gill has the difficult task of pulling off the least well written principal Damian, all camp and attitude.  He manages to overcome the limitations of the two dimensional role with comedic sparkle.  A word too for Ben Oakley, the geeky jock Aaron, Cody's crush and Regina's ex. He too overcomes some bland dialogue to find some heart in Aaron. Steps' own Faye Tozer is pitched as the star name,  alternating three small characters: a hippy Mom, a pushy teacher and Regina's oversexed pink lady of a mother. Tozer handles them all with ease, including some impressive quick changes, but doesn't really get a chance to shine like a performer of her talent and experience should.  Not her fault though.

Director Casey Nicholaw (currently bringing The Greatest Showman to the UK stage) makes sure the show hits all the right notes, combining the chaotic educational environment with some intimate set pieces as each character contemplates their place in the high school hierachy.  Mean Girls is a feast of a morality tale set in a stereotypical American high school. The ultimate message that we should all be nicer to each other has taken the long way around, but its a fun journey to get there.

We weren't sure the show would be for us, but were won over by the sheer exhuberance of the cast and the sheen of the visuals. A special mention for the band too, they were top notch. One of the best we have heard in a Pit for a while. Congrats to those hidden away who provide the wall of sound.

If you get your chance to party with The Plastics on tour, go for it.  This is one revenge party you won't want to miss.

Rob & Ian

Mean Girls tours the UK throughout 2026/27, tour dates can be found at the OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

Further listening:

Not a lot of choice, its either the movie soundtrack or the original Broadway cast recording, so we'll go with Broadway.